The Iron Age 1910-02-03: Vol 85 Iss 5

t * THE IRON AGE New York, Thursday, February 3, rgro. Two New Beaman & Smith Special Milling Machines These two machines are industry has been brought. the product of the works of Beaman & Smith Company The nine-spindle milling machine for machining automobile cylinders and the four-spindle axle milling ™ —Operating Side. Smith Company, Providence, R. I. ; Driving Side. Fig. 2. & The nine-spindle machine mills the A Nine-Spindle Milling Machine for Automobile Engine Cylinders Built by the EFeaman machine, shown in the accompanying illustrations, af- Providence, R. L. ford excellent examples of the degree of specialization cylinders in a single operation and the four-spindle machine mills the fork at each end of the automobile to which the machinery equipment of the automobile = ant neat tos race tsp tn nt at 258 THE IRON AGE February 3, 1910 Fig. 3.—End and Side Blevations, Showing the Details of the Mechanism of the Beaman & Smith Nine-Spindle Milling Machine. axle and also two spots at the same time. The operat- ing and driving ends of the former are shown in Figs. I and 2, respectively, while Fig. 3 illustrates the details of the mechanism, and Figs. 4 and 5 show the axle milling machine. In the cylinder milling machine there are three ver- tical spindles and six horizontal, each in a quill pro- vided with a slight adjustment which is sufficient to cover the requirements of the machine. The saddles have both vertical and horizontal adjustment. The drive is from a 7%4-hp. motor operating at speeds rang- ing from 500 to 1500 rev. per min. A chain transmits the power to the pulley a, Fig. 3, on the horizontal shaft b, whence it is carried through a series of bevel and spur gears to the vertical shafts c, and through gearing to the horizontal spindles. The spindles run in hard bronze boxes, and are threaded to receive the cut- aa 227 SSS a Se imi i heel | ‘| (CD | | | | ee Sr ed py —_—__ h IM OM i | | Sanat ters. The table, which has a working surface 17 in. wide and 8 ft. long, has a feed mechanism of a standard type of its builder, driven through One of the vertical shafts. It is provided with quick power movement in either direction. Nine changes of feed are provided in the feed box d, ranging from I to 14 in. pefminute. In the axle milling machine illustrated in Fig. 5 the problem solved by its builder was how to machine the fork at each end and two spots simultaneously. The four spindles do not all feed in the same direction. Those at e and f, Fig. 4, approach one another while cutting, and the same is true of g and h. This is ac- complished, as shown by the thread on the feed shaft i, which is cut both right and left hand to méet this re- quirement. Gearing from the main driving shaft j at the back of the machine drives the feed shaft. The spindles are driven at 17, 20 or 23% rev. per min. by COT 1. Ee S Wh i | 5 oo coe Li = i — Fig. 4.—Top View and Front Hlevation of the Beaman & Smith Axle Milling Machine. ERE February 3, 1910 THE IRON AGE J icra * ee ee Fig. 5.—-A Special Beaman & Smith Machine for Milling the Front Axles of Automobiles. gears direct from this shaft, and run in hard bronze boxes with taper bearings to take up wear. The outer spindles have supports for their arbors. A slow feed for cutting and a quick return are pro- vided for by a clutch mechanism at h, operated by stops on the rod /. During the cut the clutch is engaged to drive through the gear m, and during the quick return through the gear nm. Six feed changes varying from %4 to 6 in. per minute are provided. The bed of the ma- chine is formed as a trough to catch the lubricant in connection with the pump circulation. Barium in Blast Furnace Slag. BY R. H. SWEETSER. When the silica in a blast furnace slag goes below 30 perent. and the sum of the silica and alumina is below 43 per cent. there is danger of a “lime set” in the furnace, or at least some very low silicon iron, and usually the composition of the slag should be changed at once. Such slags are nearly always hard to manage both inside and outside the furnace, and are so re- fractory that they require too much coke per ton of pig iron for economical practice. But when a slag with such an analysis is found to be fluid and easy run- ning, and the coke per ton of pig is exceptionally low, there is need for further investigation of the slag. Such a condition existed at the west furnace of the Columbus Iron & Steel Company, Columbus, Ohio, in November, 1909. The furnace was making Bessemer iron with a mixture that yielded 57.4 per cent. pig iron, and that required only 714 lb. of limestone per ton of pig. A few days after this mixture was put on the furnace the silica in the slag went as low as 28.90 per cent., but the product was good in quality and quantity and the furnace was working smoothly. Evidently there was some unusual element in the slag, and a com- plete analysis was made at once with the following result : Per cent. Per cent. WO es Wis Rois HAND Dees 0.40 MaO .écrsacéssvcrneses ae Bis 20s cic owas... S845 Bao... vidbes beeen 2.45 Milse. osc toss ue ae 13.40 Beet eek wena 1,85 CSO 66s. et este eee 45.10 Here was a slag with 52.65 per cent. of bases and a total of only 42.55 per cent. of silica and alumina; yet the slag was very fluid and easy to handle; it was “white hot” while running and did not slack when cold. It was decided that the barium oxide was the cause of the lower melting temperature, thus allowing the furnace to work smoothly on a small volume of limey slag. The temperature of this slag while run ning was not determined, and it would be difficult to calculate the temperature of its melting point from its analysis. Such information would be very valuable and interesting. In Prof. H. O. Hofman’s article on “ The Tempera- ture at Which Certain Ferros and Caleie Silicates Are Formed in Fusion, and the Effect Upon These Tem- peratures of the Presence of Certain Metaliic Oxides ” (Amer. Inst. Mining Engineers, xxix, p. 682-721), there is a chart showing the effects of BaO and MgO in slags formed in lead and copper furnaces, All these slags contain much FeO and are slags used in smelting lead and copper ores, but it is probable that the in- fluence of BaO wouid be in the same direction in iron blast furnace slags, as it is in the slags of the non- ferrous metals. In discussing the temperature curve of the melting point of a silicate of CaO and FeO in which the CaO is replaced by BaO in steadily increasing amounts, Professor Hofman says: As MgO raises the formation temperature, so BaO lowers it, only that the curve shows more regularity. The melting point descends steadily with the increase of BaO, until six- eighths of the CaO has been thus replaced, when a minimum is reached at 985 degrees C.; but even when all the OaO has been taken away the temperature rises only to 1010 de- grees ©. The curve shows BaO to be a powerful flux. This fact will be again seen clearly further on in the results of combining BaO with other refractory oxides, as it straight- ens out their curves and lowers their melting points. MgO, replacing CaO, raises the formation temperature of the basal slag and gives an irregular curve, but as soon as BaO is substituted for part of the MgO the curve becomes more regular, and the melting point is decidedly lowered, or, in other words, BaO promotes the slagging of MgO. The formation temperature of the above mentioned basal slag is given as 1150 degrees C, The object of this article is to record some observa- tions made while having a slag with BaO in it, and to suggest more extended experiments with this peculiar combination in blast furnace slags. The results ob- tained warrant further investigation as to the use of BaO in some form in blast furnace mixtures for the ‘ purpose of getting more fluid and easier melting slags. The writer suggests that this be done if any furnace- man happens to have barium in his mixture. The BaO in the slag came from an ore containing 3.15 per cent. BaO and 59.65 per cent. iron. This ore made up 50 per cent. of the ore mixture on the furnace. The full effect of this mixture was on the furnace for 260 . THE IRON AGE 17 days, and the dail} averages of the results were as follows: Daily product (sand-cast pigs) (2,500 lb.), tons...... 286.6 Coke ver ton of pig (railroad weights used), pounds. ,1,888 Limestone per ton of pig, pounds..........++-++++e88 714 Ore per pound of coke, pounds..........---+-++see00. 2.01 Yield of mixture in pig iron, per cent...............-- 57.4 Average silicon in pig iron, per cent.............+++- 1.27 Average sulpbur in pig iron, pounds...............-. 0.02 Average phosphorus in pig iron, per cent............-- 0.088 Average silica in the slag, per cent............--++++: 30.21 Average alumina in the slag, per cent..........-..6+:. 13.20 The blast furnace is 75 x 17% x 11% ft. and is skip-filled. The Walker Single-Stroke Surface Grinder. For grinding singly and rapidly piston rings, thgust collars, small dies, milling saws and work of similar February 3, 1910 surface grinders in a limited degree only. The cup shaped grinding wheel is fed directly against the re- volving work and has-no cross feed; the movement is limited by a positive stop. The company also intro- duces in this machine a new carbon truer. Fig. 1 is a view of the left side of the wet grinder, Fig. 2 a view of the right side of the dry grinder, Figs. 3 and 4 give sectional right and left side elevations of the machine, giving the important details of construc- tion, and Fig. 5 shows the new carbon truer. Referring to Fig. 3, the grinding spindle a carries the drum pulley 6, which is belted from the driving pulley ¢ on the vertical shaft d. This spindle has ball bearing thrust collars at each end of its lower bearing and carries a cup shaped wheel. The spindle is mounted in a vertical slide e, Fig. 4, which is operated by the lever f, in the same manner as a sensitive drill press. When the lever is brought forward to its limit the Fig. 1.—The Wet Type. Fig. 2.—The Dry Type. The New Single-Stroke Surface Grinder Built by the Walker Grinder Company, Worcester, Mass. character, the Walker Grinder Company, Worcester, Mass., has designed what is known as a single stroke surface grinder. It contains a number of new features, notable among which is its control by a single lever which not only starts and stops the work spindle, but at the same time switches the electric current of the magnetic chuck on and off and automatically demag- netizes the chuck face so that the work may be removed easily and without scratching. The magnetic chuck is of a new design known as the multitooth rotary type, and in combination with it is a new system of chuck ventilation for use on wet grinders. A self-contained motor driven blower delivers an air blast from an outlet through the center of the chuck spindle and thence through the coil chamber and out through apertures in the chuck rim. By this method all moisture is absorbed and therefore none can reach the coil chamber. The machine enters the field of the larger vertical spindle slide ¢ comes in contact with the positive stop g, which insures the same thickness for all pieces of work, ex- cept for the amount of wear of the wheel, compensa- tion for which is provided by an adjustment of the knee through the vertical feed screw h. The slide is counterbalanced by a weight inside the column. The chuck spindle has a large pulley i which is driven by a belt passing over two idlers and through a slot in the column to the driving drum j. The drum runs loose on its shaft to which it is locked for operat- ing by the clutch k, one member of which is fast in the drum and the other fast to the shaft. The drum rests on a collar which is operated by pivoted and forked levers, push rod and rocking lever, from the stud l on the vertical slide. Consequently when the slide is thrown upward, as shown, the drum is raised out of mesh with its clutch and the motion of the work spindles is stopped. When the lever is brought down February 3, 1910 sca ae 5 4, Io’ pp ded 7 ' Ce H one : =h3 if Z i : 7 —S= e--4f ~ THE IRON AGE 261 Fig. 4. Sectional Elevations of the Walker Single-Stroke Surface Grinder. this action is reversed. Consequently the starting and stopping is entirely automatic and dependent upon the lever. The drum shaft is driven by reducing gears from the main vertical shaft d. The gear box, giving two changes of speed for the work, is shown at the top of Fig. 3. The countershaft m has its driving pulley in the interior of the column. The tight and loose pulleys alone project from the machine. From the driving pulley a belt passes over two idlers to the driven pulley on the vertical shaft d. It will be noticed that the machine is entirely self-contained, and may easily be adapted for motor drive. Fig. 3 also shows clearly the magnetic chuck and blower system. The main part g of the chuck is Io in. in diameter. Its magnetic face r is provided with a water guard for protecting the contact rings s and the brushes ¢. The spindle u is hollow. The motor driven blower is shown at v, with a portion of the casing cut away to reveal the fan, which is directly connected to a small motor fastened to a shelf carried by the ver- tically sliding knee. The blower, therefore, never changes its position relative to the grinding spindle. Its outlet is connected by a brass tube with the hollow spindle u, and a stream of air follows the course of the arrows, eliminating the danger from moisture. The demagnetizing device is of unusual interest. It Fig. 5.—The New Carbon Truer for Squaring and Truing the Grinding Wheel. is characteristic of magnetic chucks to retain a slight residual magnetism after the current has been cut off. To get rid of this more or less objectionable condition a separate demagnetizing device has been designed, and in the case of the single stroke grinder this has heen arranged so that the demagnetizing operation is accom- plished automatically. In Fig. 4 the apparatus is shown attached to the side of the machine. The two spring contacts * are carried by an arm fastened to the wheel slide. The demagnetizing mechanism is contained in the insulating block y. The spring contacts operate successively the charging and discharging mechanism in unison with the movement of the slide. As a result, the operation of the lever performs this other function, so that the operator has one hand free for the work. The machine is equipped with water tank and pump and with a supplementary water guard. Fig. 5 shows the new carbon truer designed to keep the face of the wheels true and at the same time parallel with the chuck face. It is arranged to slide on the platen underneath the wheel. The carbon is set in a shouldered stem fitting a hole drilled in the top of a flat holder in an oblique direction, the angle being 30 to 45 degrees from the vertical. When a flat spot has worn on the carbon the stem can be swiveled slightly and flattened in a new position, thus providing per- petually a means of attaining new cutting points on the carbon and a keen cutting surface on the grinding wheel. ————o oO The new steel steamer of the Miller Transit Com- pany, which will bear the name of Leonard B. Miller of Oglebay, Norton & Co., Cleveland, was launched January 29 at the Cleveland yards of the American Shipbuilding Company. The Deemer Steel Casting Company, New Castle, Del., now has its plant in regular operation. 5S. S. Deemer is president and general manager. ery pry nner rere emer ee LTTE sound RRS Nn ad de EAP aE 262 THE IRON AGE February 3, 1910 The New Kempsmith Universal Dividing Head. The universal dividing head is perhaps the most delicate and important mechanism connected with a milling machine. It is subjected to frequent and varied use, and the work done by it must as a rule be very precise. The ideal dividing head, therefore, must be essentially accurate; must be of such construction as best to preserve that accuracy, both by its rigidity and - | worm wheel is made possible by mounting it at the ex- treme front or rear end of the spindle, practically out- side of the head frame. Its location there, however, brings the working strain at one end of the spindle, and the casing presents an obstruction where work is to be done close in to the head. On this dividing head the worm wheel is mounted centrally inside the head Fig. 1.— Front View. The New Universal Dividing Head Made by the Kempsmith Mfg. Company, by its method of adjustment; must be compact and convenient, and universal in its scope. In its new and improved universal dividing head the Kempsmith Mfg. Company, Wilwaukee, Wis., has given special consider- ation to these requirements. The substantial and com- pact construction is well indicated by Figs. 1 and 2, showing the front and rear views of the dividing head. There is a notable absence of complicated mechanism. The most important feature of the dividing head is the dividing mechanism. A large diameter worm wheel ’ essential to the best wo1k. Usually a large diameter Re ar View. Milwaukee, Wis. block, between the front and rear spindle bearings. It is keyed and pressed to the spindle, insuring positive movement to the spindle when engaged by the worm. The worm is inclined, its shaft being at an angle of 36 degrees with the horizontal. This brings the point of mesh of the worm with the worm wheel correspond- ingly around to an angle from the vertical, and makes available considerable extra space for the worm wheel, otherwise occupied necessarily by the worm, when located directly over or under the worm wheel. The result is that the worm wheel can be made extremely hs) « 1] a es February 3, 1910 large in proportion to the size of the head—5%4 in. diameter on the 10'4-in. swing head, and 6% in. diam- eter on the 13'4-iy swing head. The top view and front elevation of this dividing head given in Fig. 7 show the position and the large relative size of the worm wheel. The worm is in one piece with the worm shaft which runs in a long and liberal bearing, which extends up to the shoulder formed by the worm proper, and con- sequently affords support close to the point of mesh. The worm runs constantly in oil, the oil pocket being shown in Fig. 7. The wear between the worm and the worm wheel is very easily taken up through the out- side adjusting screw shown. This adjustment is in a straight line, perpendicular to the axis of the worm L ™ Fig. 3.—A Special Spiral Milling Job Using a High-Number Index Plate. Fig. 5.—The Head Set Up with a Train of Change Gears. wheel, and thus preserves the alignment and accuracy in repeated adjustments. The worm is easily disen- gaged from the worm wheel for quick indexing through the worm wheel direct. This is through means en- tirely independent of its adjustment, which therefore is not disturbed. Another advantage is that, in the com- mon necessity of tightening the nut on arbors which have been put in the spindle, the worm wheel teeth are relieved of strain. The index plunger is mounted on the worm shaft as shown in Fig. 7, therefore indexing directly to the worm wheel, leaving no chance for error or inaccuracy through a train of gears or any other intermediate mechanism. The fact that the worm shaft is set at an angle as already described, likewise locates the index plate at an angle from the vertical. This makes it much easier for the operator to read in indexing, be- cause it is directly in his line of vision in his natural operating position, and does not require him to stoop and be otherwise inconvenienced as when the index THE IRON rae atl ir ja AGE 263 plate is vertical. Two index plates are regularly fur- nished providing all division changes up to 60, all even numbers and multiples of 5, up to 120, and a very liberal number of division changes between 120 and 400. Three special high number index plates can be furnished which provide 122 additional division changes between 61 and 400, including all divisions up to 200 not obtained through the standard index plates. A special spiral milling job of 127 teeth being milled through one of these high number index plates is shown in Fig. 3. This fact of the index plate being at an angle will also permit of still larger plates being mounted in extremely special individual instances without requiring an in- crease in the swing of the dividing head. Direct indexing is easily accomplished with the Fig. 4.—A Piéce of Work Passed Through the Spindle. Fig. 6.—Arrangement for Cutting Short Leads, Gearing Direct From the Lead Screw to the Dividing Head Spindle. worm and worm wheel disengaged. The plunger en- gages the circle of holes in the front of the worm wheel shown in Fig. 7. The spindle is graduated to corre- spond on the front shoulder and is therefore easily read. Quick indexing, of course, is of advantage when milling squares or hexagons, and in milling taps, ream- ers or pinions. The spindle is large, with liberal taper bearings, and has a simple and pewerful locking device, shown by the clamp bushing in Fig. 7. It is furnished with the same size taper hole and threaded nose as on the main spindle of the universal millers on which the head is regularly furnished, making all tools interchangeable. It has a large hole running thfough, as may be seen in Fig. 4, which shows the work passed through the spindle. The rear end of the spindle is arranged to receive an ex- tension stud for use in gearing direct from the lead screw to the spindle for cutting fine leads as described later. The rotating block carrying the spindle swings through an arc of 150 degrees, from 10 degrees below 264 THE Fig. 7.—Sectional Plan and Elevation of the New Kempsmith Dividing Head. the horizontal to 50 degrees beyond the perpendicular. It is powerfully clamped in a horizontal, vertical or angular position through two bolts shown in Fig. 2. These bolts clamp the whole surface of the flanges around the periphery at both the front and rear sides of the head. This dividing head is furnished with a series of 12 change gears for spiral milling. The change gear bracket is very easily attached or removed. The miter gear on this meshes with the miter gear attached to the index plate; the worm is driven direct from the change Fig. 5 shows the dividing head set up gear shaft. Fig. 8.—Arrangement for Testing the Accuracy of the Teeth of the Dividing Head Worm Wheel. IRON AGE February 3, 1910 with a train of change gears in the usual manner for cutting an ordinary spiral; the job shown is a standard spiral milling cutter 3 in. in diameter, 18 teeth, with 48-in. lead of the spiral. For shorter leads the gear ratios increase, and for any lead under about 1% in. these ratios become so high that practically all the power is consumed in transmission, and short leads therefore are out of the question if attempted in the usual manner. On this dividing head a very interesting departure is provided for short leads, by which the gear train is led direct from the lead screw to the dividing head spindle, and not through the worm, an extension Fig. 9.—The Side-Center Tailstock. stud being provided on the spindle as already described. This is shown in Fig. 6, and this also shows the use of the universal milling attachment where the angle be- tween cutter and work is greater than can be obtained through the swivel table. In the charts which accom- pany this dividing head data is given for leads from 0.12 to 1% in. through gearing direct, and for leads from 1.55 to 100 in. for gearing through the worm. Fig. 8 shows the arrangement for testing the accu- racy of the worm wheel in every tooth. The master plate is mounted in the spindle and has 40 perfect divisions. It is therefore possible to test the relative and cumulative error for the teeth individually. The maximum relative error allowed is 0.0005 in. on the master plate, and the maximum cumulative error at any point is 0.002 in. on the master plate. The average is less than half of this. The master plate is 11 in. in diameter and the worm wheel 5% in. in diameter, con- sequently errors on the master plate are correspond- ingly reduced on the worm wheel proper. The tailstock is of the side center type, which has become associated with that construction, and is shown in Fig. 9. The center is set into the tailstock at an angle, bringing the center within % in. of the inner side of the tailstock, as well as within % in. of the top. This is advan- tageous in that it allows the use of large diameter shank or end milling cutters when squaring shafts and doing similar work, thus dispensing largely with the use of very small diameter cutters otherwise necessary. This effectually increases the output of work in such instances. Such a job is shown in Fig. 4. The center is firmly fixed in the tailstock and has rapid and easy adjustment. It can be elevated by rack and pinion for milling tapers and can be tilted and clamped into align- ment with the work. This universal dividing head is furnished in two sizes to swing 10% in. and 13% in. The Berger Mfg. Company, Canton, Ohio, has es- tablished Southeastern territorial offices in Atlanta, Ga. J. H. Deering of Atlanta, an experienced iron and steel salesman, has been appointed district manager in charge of all territory between North Carolina and New Orleans. The headquarters will be located in the new Rhodes Building, Atlanta. February 3, 1910 The Joyce-Cridland Automatic Track Jack. A jack for track work must not only be properly constructed and possess sufficient strength for the duty it has to perform, but it should also be quick in action and in releasing. These last features are especially desirable where the train service is frequent. To meet these requirements the Joyce-Cridland Company, Dayton, Ohio, has built the jack shown in Fig. 1. Malleable iron is used for the frame, and a specially shaped base is provided to insure an easy fit between the ties. In action the jack corresponds to a rack and pinion. The rack is the toothed case hardened crucible steel lifting bar, and the end of the raising lever corresponds to the pinion. The teeth on the end of the latter are cut to fit the rack teeth and roll out of mesh smoothly when the lever is raised to its highest point. Raising the load is accomplished in a somewhat sim- ilar manner to that of the ordinary type of lever jack. One notable exception is that the pawl does not fall into place by gravity, but is actuated by a spring whose action is controlled by a small crank on the side of the jack frame, shown in the lower portion of Fig. 2. In one position of the crank the pawl is held against the rack and permits continuous raising, but prevents low- ering of the load. With the crank in the opposite or release position, the spring tends to disengage the pawl from the rack teeth, so that to trip the jack it is only necessary to bear down slightly on the lever bar. This just releases the load and allows the pawl to fly out of mesh. By this method neither the pawl nor the pin- fig. 1.—The Automatic Track Jack Made by the Joyce-Cridland Company, Dayton, Ohio. ion are forcibly thrust out of engagement and this, it is stated, eliminates considerable wear and possibility of breakage. Fig. 2 shows the details of the lifting mechanism. The crank controlling the spring that actuates the pawl is in the position shown while the load is being raised ; that is, the handle is away from the operator. When the rail has been lifted to the desired hight the handle is turned in the direction of the arrow through an arc of 180 degrees. The tension on the upper end of the spring is thus released, so that the pawl tends to come out of engagement with the teeth on the lifting bar. THE IRON AGE 265 This action is prevented by the weight of the load which holds the pawl in place, and consequently the rack stays in its elevated position while the track gang replaces ties or does similar work. The removal of the jack is quickly effected when a train approaches by bearing down on the lever bar slightly. This lifts the rack and allows the pawl to fly Fig. 2.—Lifting Mechanism of the Jack, Showing the Retaining Pawl and Spring in the Lifting and Releasing Positions. out and assume the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The load then forces the rack down and the operating lever rises. As this takes place the pinion rolls smoothly out of mesh and the rail drops. Should the small crank for any reason not be turned to the release position when the load is raised, the jack can be quickly tripped by pressing the foot against the lug on the bottom of the pawl and forcing the latter out of contact with the lifting bar teeth. ——-—_<§--- Old Age Pensions from a Massachusetts View- point. In 1907 a Commission on Old Age Pensions was appointed in Massachusetts to study the various sys- tems devised in other countries and in use among in- dustrial and railroad corporations. Its report in a vol- ume of 500 pages has lately been published. From a summary printed in the Boston Transcript the infer- ence is drawn that its work has been thorough and val- uable. The committee came out strongly against any scheme of noncontributing old age pensions, such as the one lately introduced in Great Britain. This it con- demns on the score of expense, of discouragement of thrift, of a disintegrating effect upon the family, and of an unfavorable influence upon the rate of wages. Yet a plan of contributory retiring pensions for public emplovees, including those of towns and cities, is em- phatically recommended by the committee, and the scheme of retiring allowances for aged workmen is urged upon large employers of labor, the whole to be based squarely upon the contributory principle. In line with this vigorous and wholesome assertion of the duty of self-reliance, is the recommendation that “ thrift should be included among the subjects of compulsory instruction in the public schools.” 266 A New Sturtevant Generator Set. The generator set shown in the illustration embodies the new type single vertical engine known as Class VS-7 of its builder, the B. F. Sturtevant Company, Fig. 1.—The Engine Directly Connected to a Generator. The New Class VS-7 Single Vertical Engine Built b THE IRON AGE February 3, 1910 mechanism completely inclosed within the frame, which is provided with openings having easily removable dust- proof covers through the front, back and sides of suff- cient size to permit of easy access for inspecting or ad- justing. An important feature is a watershed partition: Fig. 2.—-Another View of the Engine. y the B. F. Sturtevant Company, Hyde Park, Mass. Fig. 3.—Sectional Elevations of the New Sturtevant Class VS-7 Engine. Hyde Park, Mass. Although in general design it re- sembles earlier models, the engine embodies many re- finements of detail, including an improved lubricating system and greater accessibility of the inclosed parts. It is of the high speed type, with all reciprocating which prevents the oil from the frame being carried into the cylinder and the water from the cylinder being carried into the frame. This partition, together with the piston rod stuffing box, is located in a distance piece which separates the cylinder from the frame, and which f February 3, 71910 has openings giving convenient access to these parts even while the engine is in operation. Fig. 1 shows the generator set complete, Fig. 2 another view of the engine, and Fig. 3 details of construction and of the lubricating system. The lubricating system of the gravity type consists of a reservoir cast in the top of the frame from which the oil flows to all bearings through piping equipped with sight feeds. All the oil not used flows into a reservoir cast in the sub-base, where it is filtered through fine screens and forced to the top reservoir by a durable THE IRON AGE 267 Woodlawn Works from the Allis-Chalmers Company, Milwaukee, Wis. This will be of the horizontal cross compound condensing type and have cylinders 48 and 84 in. by 60 in. stroke. The main shaft will be ex- tended on each end and connected directly to the rolls. 8 Oe The Baird Wire Forming and Ferruling Machine. Like the wire forming and stamping machine de- scribed in The Iron Age, January 6, 1910, made by the Fig. 1——A Special Wire Forming and Ferruling Machine Built by the Baird Machine Company, Oakville, Conn. efficient pump which is entirely submerged in the oil. The engine may be run independently of the oil pump by filling the top reservoir through an opening provided in the frame and drawing off the excess oil from the bottom reservoir through a drain cock. A Rites inertia governor placed in the balance wheel regulates the speed so accurately that the variation be- tween no load and full load is not more than 1% per cent. The generating sets are built in sizes from 7% to 50 kw., and are made up of a generator of either the six or eight pole type directly connected upon the same sub-base of the engine. The generator armature is of the two circuit ven- tilated drum type and is pressed upon the shaft. The armature coils are form wound and are thoroughly pro- tected against oil and water. The commutator is made up of segments of hard drawn copper insulated with amber mica of such hardness that it will wear uni- formly with the copper. These segments are secured in a steel ring and insulated therefrom by rings of hard mica. Armature conductors, commutator segments and brushes are proportioned to give low current density to insure low temperature rise, high efficiency and good operation. The brush rigging is arranged so that the brushes may be adjusted simultaneously by revolving the brush ring. The magnet frame is of cast iron, and is divided on a horizontal plane. The pole pieces are of wrought iron, and together with cast iron shoes, are through bolted to the frame. The field coils are made up in two sections, the compound winding forming one section and the shunt winding the other section. They are machine wound and of open construction to secure maximum radiation and ventilation. cenennnnnnEnnntEiit ciincin ata The Jones & Laughlin Steel Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., has recently ordered a new mill engine for its Baird Machine Company, Oakville, Conn., the one illus- trated in Fig. 1 herewith, was the outcome of a demand for means to manufacture such articles as suspender loops, buckles, easel stands, &c., of which Fig. 2 is an example. This machine is a combination of two machines and is entirely automatic in its action, as it will take wire from the coil, straighten, feed, cut off and form it, and take sheet metal from a reel, cut off, form and attach a Fig. 2.—Examples of the Products of the Machine Shown in Fig. 1. ferrule made from it around the wire form as described above, dropping the complete ferruled wire forms into a receptacle at the rate of from 60 to 80 per minute, according to the size and shape. No attention is re- quired other than keeping the machine supplied with metal and wire and removing the finished goods. All cam linings, rolls and pins subject to trying service are of tool steel, hardened and ground, and all sliding surfaces are hand scraped to a bearing. The machine is built in several sizes adapted for the variation in styles of work for which it was designed, and is proving quite popular among novelty manu- facturers. i ie aes ie i tis sg 268 THE IRON AGE February 3, 1910 . “for the shops will go straight to pot now. Don't one pany know as I care much either, with the old man gone. ” Storm centers such as this gathered fast, and on aay © Ce ae | Ree: LOR: Dniteeny the following iaaitng when Eldredge took hold the Without Its Leader, Falters—How, Under a gic-ontent was as widespread as was the sorrow over New Leadership, it Picks Up Its Stride and = Bancroft’s death. Runs a Stronger Race than Ever. A morning which Eldredge spent in the shops, with vepepperainne Booth at his side, did much to overcome the prejudice BY CONNECTICUT. which had sprung up against him, for in addition to his natural adaptability to the calling of accountant he fortunately possessed a rather sound knowledge of me- chanics, and his ready grasp of several manufacturing processes explained to him by some of the foremen worked decidedly to his advantage. “He’s no fool,” Smithson admitted during the noon hour—Eldredge had spent some little time in Section M. Succeeding days passed in the offices and shops gave the new manager the general knowledge of the shop layout and system that he required, and he went back to his desk to get the necessary perspective his position demanded. He had seen almost at once that Bancroft’s custom of mixing into all matters, large or small, had trained the entire force into the habit of referring everything to “headquarters.” At the end of the second day spent in his office his head buzzed with the countless questions put up to him for decision after the manner of his predecessor. At 5 o'clock he gave it up. “ This is sheer nonsense,” he rasped out in despera- The telephone message that December morning from tion. Then turning to Booth, “ Call a meeting of fore- the Bancroft residence announcing his death affected men and assistants for this afternoon at 5.30. This every one throughout the plant; he was, that sort of aman. But it was not un- 1% til the next work day that the full ex- tent of the factory’s loss began to be appreciated. Booth, Bancroft’s secre- tary, realized it among the first—he was gp talking on the telephone with the sales department. “T’'ll be up in half an hour to talk over changing the production schedule BS ae . on those alternators,” the sales mana- _ Daa ger had told him and hung up. Turn- The “old man” was gone. Yet only last week his tall figure, erect with the just pride of his 65 energetic, well-run years, had been seen as usual here and there in the factories and the offices. His master mind, with its wonderful powers of comprehension and concentration, was felt in every part of the works. It seemed as if nothing was too complicated or extensive in scope for him to under- stand at once; nothing too trivial to be without instant interest to him. The Bancroft Mfg. Company, with its extensive shops and world-wide trade, was the product of his intellect backed by grim energy and by untiring patience and industry. Conqueror of markets and of men, he fell suddenly at last at the will of the Great Reaper—and the company was without head, heart and brain. The Organization Totters. 40 — <a rn i eee | EFFICIENCY CHART ing to the work on his desk, Booth NAN. FEB, MAR. APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT. OT) NOV DEC. stopped short and half rose from his ure chair; piece by piece, comprehension of Fig. 1. what it all meant came to him. Ban- croft gone, how about the hundred and one details his can’t go on any longer.” Clearing the office he strove superior had been in the habit of deciding for himself? to collect himself and to gather his muddled thoughts Helplessness and a chilling indecision crept over him; for the coming meeting. The half hour seemed very he faltered. short; before he knew it the time was up and he faced The same truth was driven home to many another his men. He saw many stolid faces among them. during the ensuing 24 hours. The atmosphere of the whole place had changed; it seemed as if the prop had PAPO By SRR Oe Tere, been knocked from under the entire establishment. And so it really was. Trained to rely always on Bancroft’s say-so, the whole organization tottered the moment the mental and moral support of his virtual presence was removed. But the Board of Directors was not long in conven- ing, and, as an outcome, announced the election of John Eldredge as general manager to succeed the deceased proprietor. The news spread rapidly through the shop. “Who is this Eldredge?” clamored several foremen of Booth when next he showed himself in the shops. “ Son-in-law of Mr. Bancroft; married his youngest daughter, I believe,” he told them. “ He’s a profes- sional accountant; audited our books last January.” Indignation preceded anxiety on the faces of his hearers at this news; protest was violent from many of the more outspoken. “T know all you men realize fully the loss Mr. Bancroft’s death means to the factory”—he struck boldly into the subject, neither wasting words nor dodging the issue—“ and I can safely say that none of you realize it more clearly than I do myself. He was a wonderful man and our superior in all respects. On his shoulders he carried the burdens of the whole works; to him you all went for advice and suggestion, and from him you all received the answer you went after.” He paused; several older heads nodded in affirmation. “ But now that he is gone,” Eldredge was very ear- nest, “ now that he can no longer give us the help we have learned to expect from him, we must take up these burdens ourselves and push on. It will not be easy for any of us; but let’s pull together; let’s go at it shoulder to shoulder, men, and we'll win out. Taking Orders from a Bookkeeper. “Tf I can help any of you, come to me freely. I “It’s come to a pretty pass when we have to take am sure I shall require a great deal of help from every our orders from a bookkeeper,” exploded Smithson, one of you.” His smile brought an answer from many, foreman of Section M. and the good feeling seemed to spread as he unfolded “We may as well look for jobs elsewhere,” Lines, his plan. “ Commencing to-day,” he explained, “ every foreman of instrument makers, spoke despondently, one of you men will have to bear his share in the re- ( } ¥ February 3, 1910 sponsibility. I shall choose a certain line of work for each one of you, the line in which each is most expert, and hold you responsible for the successful accomplish- ment of the duties connected with your distinct lines.” Eldredge went further into detail in answer to the questions and protests which were raised. But on the whole the idea took firm room from the start; especially among the more progressive sprang up a keen antici- pation, an impatience to “try their wings.” “Remember one thing,” he urged as they rose to file out, “ we’ve got to succeed, for it means our bread and butter; it means food and clothes for our little ones. We mustn't fail!” Minor Details Go to Subordinates, As rapidly as compatible with cautious good judg- ment Eldredge chose his men and allotted them their responsibilities. The scheme called for some little re- classification of work and machinery, so that the grouping might be more in line with the several fore- men’s specific class of product. Once he had picked his man and explained what was to be expected, Eldredge unloaded upon him his allotment of duties, so that in a short time Booth was able to handle all minor matters direct with the fore- men, leaving his superior to take up the more vital questions in a clear-headed manner. One morning, a few weeks after the foremen’s meeting, Booth ap- proached his manager's desk. “Do you think it wise to leave so much to the THE IRON AGE 269 both large and small, were “ speeding up,” both in pro- duction and in the practice of economy. (See Figs. I and 2.) And now he had before him in one comprehensive statement the efficiency record for each department for the year. More than that, under his direction, Booth had prepared a separate chart for each section, the better to illustrate the fluctuations as they occurred. For example, he saw that Section A had increased from a factor of 78 in January to a factor of 93 in December. Such had been the profitable result of throwing upon the shop foremen some share of the total responsibility which Bancroft had previously borne for them—and each man had answered the call. Eldredge confidently expected continued rising efficiency in the new year that had just opened. Discouraging Results Show Something Vet Needed, But it proved a premature counting of poultry. Feb- uary I brought him a decidedly discouraging array of ratios. “ There is some mistake here,” he scowled at Booth, indicating the efficiency factors for January. “ Better go over the figures again,” his manner voicing an uneasy annoyance. “T noticed the drop in those ratios,’ answered Booth quietly. “The figures are correct, however.” Intently studying the tables and charts Eldredge turned slowly to his desk; in no case was the efficiency for January as high as it had been in any one of the three preceding months. Chagrin at this apparent failure Department Eveiciency Facrons foremen?” he asked seriously. “It may be because I have been used to Mr. Bancroft’s way of doing things, but it seems to me now as if before we are through the foremen will be running the shop.” Looking up quickly the assurance of perfect well- meaning on his secretary’s part drove the frown from Eldredge’s face. ‘“‘ Your fears are perhaps natural, but they are entirely unfounded,” he answered, drawing forward a sheet he had been studying. “Here is my grip on the foremen,” he went on. “ This is the first step in my Code of Efficiency. By means of this sheet I hope to get in closer touch with the affairs of the shop than Mr. Bancroft ever did.” Booth studied the sheet intently, enthusiasm grad- ually displacing the absorption on his features. “ Splen- did!” burst from him at last. “ You will measure each foreman’s efficiency by the ratio between the produc- tion or output and his expenses.” “ Exactly,” agreed the other, reaching for a scratch-pad and writing rapidly : Output Producers. Factor of efficiency = Wages. Room output Foreman. Factor of efficiency = asdiieainspspchalietin Room expenses (total). “ That is the basis of my system, of my code. This sheet is the first month’s record. By means of these sheets I shall watch the shop progress, or,” he added, smiling, “ perhaps, retrogress.” The Vear End Brings Premature Confidence, Came the new year. Twelve months of gratifying activity for the Bancroft Mfg. Company had marked Eldredge’s first term of management. The monthly efficiency statements had indicated to him a gradually improving set of conditions in the shop; the members, of a theory which had seemed to vindicate itself so gratifyingly, and a determination to go to the seat of the trouble, drew lines of concentration and dogged purpose on his strong face. During all his working hours and in the evenings the unsolved problem hung over him; at times its solution kept him wakeful far into the night. Yet the figures for February were equally disheartening. The suggestion that perhaps the maximum had been reached he put aside as without foundation’; surely the maximum efficiency could not be reached in one short year. Nor was it probable that his men had lost any- thing in energy or in ability. They had run a good race; they had speed; it could not be that they lacked staying power. Rack his brain as he would no hint of probable causes came to his help. He felt himself groping, and each day he seemed to be groping more blindly. But at the last it came to him like a flash; so sud- denly, so vividly that he laughed—laughed at himself for coming so often close to the solution yet missing it by an arm's length. For he saw it all when he one day experimentally put himself in the place of any of his foremen; when he imagined himself at their desks harassed by their troubles, inspired by their ambitions. An Incentive Is Provided, “T’ve got it,” he called out to Booth. “I haven't developed my theory far enough. No system for measuring efficiency is of value unless you first have some means of increasing such efficiency. That is where I fell short; I have not provided any incentive,” “But the efficiency increased right through last year,” argued Booth. “ That was instinctive; that was a natural desire to 270 THE IRON AGE excel, to make good—and they did make good,” Eld- redge answered heartily. “ But this year,” he continued rapidly, “this year what does a foreman or any of the workmen say to himself? He asks himself, ‘why work half as hard again to make more money for the firm when I don’t get anything out of it myself?’ So one of his New Year’s resolutions was to lower his speed. I’m going to add an amendment to my Code of Efficiency, an amendment rewarding increase in efficiency. I'm going to make it worth their while to speed up; they’re just as human as the rest of us. They need inducement, incentive, and they shall have it.” The development of his amendment proved it a less simple matter than had at first appeared. His chess- men being human each move was a separate problem, no one rule sufficing for all. He rewarded all his foremen who had made good records in accordance with what such records, coupled with good judgment, would dictate. And he allowed the producers a cer- tain maximum wage rate per day, with the understand- ing that they share half and half with the company all wages above this rate earned by the expenditure of extra effort on their part. This was his first step, and, though slight modifications were made in specific cases, his charts for succeeding months amply proved his theory. “ Booth,” he said one day some months later, “ the thing works so well I’m tempted to try it on myself,” and he laughed good-naturedly. “How’s that?” asked the other. Eldredge’s pencil wrote a third formula in scrawling, hurried figures: Factory output. Manager. Factor of efficiency = — Factory expenses. “Don’t you think that would be carrying the thing too far?” asked Booth when he had finished reading. “Not at all,” Eldredge spoke earnestly, “ what is fair for one is fair for all,” and he fell into a silence of abstraction while his eyes widened under the spell which this new thought cast over him. Smiling faintly Booth turned back to his work; he knew his employer well enough now to feel sure that before many days had passed the novel suggestion would bear fruit—and good fruit, too. —_—__++s- —__ A Novel Rockford Drill with Geared Tapper. The